Punk-Approved Wuss Rock Recordings/HC Classix

[John P. Strohm]

I’m currently writing an article on the Zero Boys in celebration of their upcoming catalogue re-issue, which I’m looking forward to posting soon. It’s gotten me to thinking about hardcore more than usual. I recently engaged in an interesting exchange in the comments section of my recent blog post “some random thoughts…” Somehow the subject of Michael Jackson came up. Thus far I’ve generated essentially zero support from my assertion that MJ is a great artist and an important cultural figure - something I believe without shame or reservation.

It made me think about the early 80s, when Michael Jackson ruled the charts and airwaves. I listened almost exclusively to punk and hardcore in those days. Freda, my high school girlfriend, and I kept our shared appreciation of Michael Jackson and Prince very much under wraps among our group of friends, who would not have been very understanding. I also kept pretty quiet about loving Bruce Springsteen, though honestly my peak live music experience from 1984 – a year in which I played and attended many punk shows – was seeing Bruce in Chicago on the Born in the U.S.A. tour. Oh, and we also privately dug Madonna - it came as a relief when the likes of Mike Watt and Sonic Youth professed their love for Madge.

I remember briefly questioning my lifelong love of the Beatles and Stones due to the Zero Boys’ “Livin’ in the 80s” (lyric: “I don’t remember the Beatles/I don’t like the Stones”), eventually deciding that I could appreciate the sentiment without accepting it as dogma. I chuckled to myself when I first recorded with Paul Mahern in the late 80s. He kept two discs close at hand for sonic reference and constant appreciation: The White Album and Exile on Main Street.

Nevertheless, there were a handful of non-punk artists that were universally approved in our scene. Here are the ones I remember:

1. The Psychedelic Furs: I’m not sure what the deal was with this. Someone went public with their appreciation (maybe Wes Burton?) and everybody followed suit. I remember going to the ’83 concert at the I.U. Auditorium en masse.

2. Pink Floyd (especially Dark Side of the Moon): approved stoner music. One punk who shall remain nameless used to try to get everyone at parties to take a big bong hit and then lie on the floor in the dark to hear the album. Hilarious.

3. Johnny Cash: I think this started with Jack Whitebread, then k/a Rat Rondell. There’s some funny discussion of The Man in Black in one of the Tussin’ Up issues.

4. The Stray Cats: as a fledgling guitarist, I couldn't resist this band. But I remember it being totally okay to dig them, even though they were ultra-mainstream. 80s 50s was so much more awesome than 70s 50s (e.g. Sha Na Na), right?

I know there were others, but I’m drawing a blank. Of course there were all sorts of artists that evolved from hardcore, such as The Minutemen, Husker Du, Meat Puppets, Replacements, Butthole Surfers, etc. etc. that were accepted. But I’m more interested in the stuff that was totally outside of hardcore.

In the “Random Thoughts” comments, I also mentioned that I believe there are a handful of classic first-generation hardcore records and a lot of forgettable albums. I thought I’d take a crack at naming the hardcore records that I consider timeless classics. I’m limiting this to American punk/HC releases from between 1979 and 1984, no first generation artists, and it’s off the top of my head. Some of these artists had several albums that could be on the list, so I picked the one that I think is best. No compilations. In no particular order:

Bad Brains: Rock for Light
Black Flag: Damaged
Descendants: Milo Goes to College
Zero Boys: Vicious Circle
Minor Threat: Discography
Angry Samoans: Back from Samoa
The Germs: GI
X: Los Angeles
Husker Du: Zen Arcade
Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime
Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Bad Religion: How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
Fear: The Record
Negative Approach: EP
Replacements: Sorry Ma (I prefer Let It Be and Hootenanny from the era, but I don’t consider them punk records).
Misfits: Walk Among Us
Circle Jerks: Group Sex
Social Distortion: Mommy’s Little Monster
Agent Orange: Living in Darkness
Flipper: Generic Flipper
The Dicks: Kill From the Heart

Help me out – what am I forgetting?

[Zac Burke]

I may not be able to add to that list but I will admit before I discovered hardcore punk etc I loved MJ. Never would admit that to anyone I knew either. I could do a pretty good moonwalk as well as the more complex sideways version (more break-dancing like I suppose)

[John Scot Sheets]

I am glad to see someone bring up The Year Zero Contradiction which occurs with every generation. English Punk and US Hardcore really tried to draw a line in the sand. Musicians are usually big music fans, so some "uncool old stuff" or "poppy new stuff" cant help but to make it's mark, no matter what.

[Marvin P. Goldstein]

D.O.A.: Hardcore 81 I believe this album coined the term for the genre! Tons more probably, I'll get back with ya! Pretty good list though, John. Looking forward to your Zero Boys article. Where will it be published?

[John P. Strohm]

I thought about D.O.A., but I decided to stick with so-called "U.S. Americans". I wore out that War on 45 Ep. Great at the Father's Day Mondo as well.

[John P. Strohm]

Oh, not sure where it will be published. I'm writing it freelance and it may just be published here.

[BURD]

OK-here goes...Sorry if I fuck up your timeline thing. I'm getting these from my MP3 player-some records I can't remember-maybe I'll go thru my records later-I'll try not to repeat something-also there may be some "not so punk" at the end-I'd add to that list:

Husker Du - Metal Circus
Jerry's Kids- Is This My World
TSOL - Dance With Me
7 Seconds - Walk Together Rock Together
FU's - Do We Really Wanna Hurt You?
Flipper- Gone Fishin'
JFA - Valley of the Yakes
Lazy Cowgirls- Tapping the Source
Fearless Iranians from Hell- Die for Allah
Channel 3 - Fear of Life
Lemonheads - Hate Your Friends
MDC - Millions of Dead Cops
Meatmen - Rock and Roll Juggernaut
Deadkennedys - Frankenchrist
Naked Raygun - Jettison and All Rise
Misfits - Earth AD and Die Die my Darling
MIA - Murder in a foriegn Place
Elvis Hitler - 1st record
Musical Suicide - Little Fish in the Big Sea
DOA - War on 45 and Something Better Change
Butthole Surfers - Psychic Powerless

Border line or arguably "not" punk/hardcore:

Cramps - Smell of Female
Big Black - Atomizer
Beasts of Bourbon - Axeman's Jazz
Dead Milkmen - Beezlebubba
Love and Rockets - 7th Dream
Lords of the New Church - 1st record

Give me time and I'll think of more. Incidently, in the later 80's Myself and the crew of Leslies Italian Villa would listen to Prince's Purple rain constantly. Never appreciated MJ though. Springsteen was played frequently in the Studbarn years later-guess it just took us a little longer to get there.

[BURD]

Sorry about including the non-americans---forgot about the nationality thing-although I could've added GBH, Exploited etc..

[BURD]

I also loved Toxic Reasons - Kill by Remote Control

[Jeb Banner]

funny you mention Michael Jackson. "Thiller" has been played at least 3 of the parties I went to over break. The general consensus among my friends seems to be that pre-opt Michael is golden. Also, the Jackson 5 were a great all around band for a spell too.

[John Scot Sheets]

rem, seems to fit somewhere in here. maybe the ultimate punk approved wuss-rock band? :)